News · Newcastle-under-Lyme
16 Years Later Newcastle-under-Lyme Is Still Struggling to Revive Its High Street
Sixteen years after the BBC reported on the decline of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s high street, Six Towns Daily looks at why local people are still raising the same concerns in 2026, from empty units and a lack of independent businesses to the growing number of takeaways, vape shops and barbers.
Back in 2010, the BBC *Stoke and Stafford* reported on the decline of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s town centre and the challenges facing its high street. Sixteen years on, the concerns will sound remarkably familiar. Now, in 2026, Six Towns Daily is reporting on many of the same problems. Despite regeneration plans and attempts to attract investment, there continues to be a worrying lack of new independent businesses opening in the town.
For local people, the changing face of the town centre is increasingly difficult to ignore. Takeaways, vape shops and barbers appear to occupy a significant number of units, while businesses that could bring a wider range of shoppers and visitors into the town remain harder to attract. Recent action by the council, police and Trading Standards has resulted in illegal vape and tobacco businesses being closed, with two Newcastle town-centre premises receiving three-month closure orders in recent months.
The recent enforcement action has shown that the problem is being taken seriously. Simba’s, at 17 High Street, and Cobra Vape Shop, at 18 High Street, were both ordered to close for three months in July after council and Trading Standards investigations uncovered illegal tobacco and vapes. In the case of Simba’s, staff were also found to have sold tobacco to under-age test purchasers.
But while enforcement is welcome, residents are asking the big question, what happens next?. There is a fear that once businesses are closed, the same type of operation will simply appear elsewhere or return when restrictions end. Recent comments from shoppers and traders have reflected the frustration, with concerns that there are simply too many vape shops and barbers and not enough variety to make the town centre somewhere people want to spend time.
The council is now looking at options to tackle the wider problem, but after years of regeneration promises, local people want to see more than plans. The BBC was reporting on Newcastle-under-Lyme’s decline in 2010. In 2026, Six Towns Daily is reporting on the same concerns.
The town needs a serious strategy to attract new businesses, support independent traders and create a high street that offers something more than takeaways, vape shops and barbers. The question now is whether enough will finally be done to make Newcastle-under-Lyme’s revival a reality.
could have told you that when my shop was sold in 2010, the council made it very difficult to rent to an interested party, change of use had become so difficult to achieve with all the huffing and puffing, the lack of control for future proofing meant sell now or lose a lot of money. The problem is the council lack of vision, they were sticking to policies made in the 1950's when town planning looked very rosy, come 2000, it was facing many challenges and you really need people with vision as you are up against Amazon and out of town shopping that does shopping better.